By SCOTT COTTOS
SPORTS EDITOR
With Micah Hyde wanting to “pay it forward,” Good Shepherd Home will get a boost in its “Therapy for All” campaign.
Hyde, a former All-Ohio performer at Fostoria High School who recently completed his rookie season with the NFL’s Green Bay Packers, is scheduled to be on hand March 26 when Good Shepherd Home hosts a fundraiser for the construction of the retirement community’s new therapy wing.
Good Shepherd Home Executive Director Chris Widman said “Therapy for All” aims to raise $925,000 for the new facility, which will provide physical, speech and occupational therapy not only for Good Shepherd Home residents but also for area residents with a doctor’s referral.
“It’s certainly a project we’re very excited about,” said Widman, noting that the facility will be staffed by therapists from ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital. “A lot of people have been working on it for a long time.”
An opening of late summer or early fall is targeted for the wing, which will include a pool for aquatic therapy and a designated area for occupational therapy, Widman said.
Hyde, a fifth-round draft pick of the Packers last year out of Iowa who played cornerback and took over the team’s punt and kickoff return duties last season, is among those who have gotten on board in a desire to help the enhancement of his hometown.
In addition to raising funds for the facility, the March 26 function will serve as “an opportunity for Fostoria to congratulate Micah and let him know how proud of him we are,” Widman said.
“We think this is a great opportunity to honor him,” Widman said. “He remains interested in Fostoria, which I think is fantastic.”
The keynote speaker for the fundraiser will be Fostoria Junior/Senior High School Principal Tom Grine, who was Hyde’s football coach at the school.
Doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with the program beginning at 6 p.m. Individual tickets, priced at $30 each in advance and $35 at the door, will include a photo, autograph and dinner. Table sponsorships are also available for $500, which includes preferred seating for eight, an 8×10-inch group photo and Green Bay’s famed “Cheesehead” hats.
For more information, contact Cindy Swartz at 419-937-1801.